Assamese Spiced Potato
A dry Assamese-style potato dish, with soft cubes of potato tossed in a light panch phoron and dried chilli tempering. It tastes mildly spicy and aromatic, with sweet onion and a fresh coriander finish.
Tempering spices
4 gAdded to the hot oil at the start (step 3)Turmeric for the potatoes
1.5 gStirred in after the onions are soft (step 5)Everything else
Method
- Crush 2.5 g panch phoron coarsely in a pestle and mortar.
- Heat 40.5 g mustard or vegetable oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add 1.5 g mild dried chilli and the crushed panch phoron and fry for 10–15 seconds.
- Add 150 g red onion and fry for 6 minutes, or until soft.
- Add 1.5 g ground turmeric and fry for 2 seconds.
- Add 900–1200 g potato, cubed, and fry for about 1 minute, turning until the pieces are coated in the spices.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10–12 minutes, or until the potato is cooked, stirring now and then so it does not stick.
- Season to taste with salt and scatter over chopped coriander leaves.
Don't have something?
Ground Bengali five-spice mixUse 70% of the weight, added with the ground spices rather than tempered whole. You lose the whole-seed crackle but keep the five-spice aroma.
Cumin seed or black cumin seedUse about 40% of the weight, with equal amounts of fennel seed and nigella seeds if you have them. It is not a true blend; the result is cumin-forward and less complex.
Fennel seedUse about 30% of the weight with cumin and mustard seed to approximate the blend. It adds sweetness but misses fenugreek's bitterness and nigella's onion note.
Groundnut oilUse the same weight; neutral, so the dish will lack mustard heat unless you add mustard seeds.
Sunflower oilUse the same weight; neutral and light, but no pungency.
Vegetable or corn oilUse the same weight; plain and neutral, best when mustard oil is omitted for a milder dish.
Dried kashmiri chilliUse the same weight; similar mild heat and good colour. Remove seeds if you want it milder.
Kashmiri red chilli powderUse half the weight of whole chilli (1 g powder for 2 g whole); add to hot oil briefly so it does not burn.
PaprikaUse the same weight; sweeter and milder, good for colour. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you need heat.
OnionUse the same weight; cook a little longer. Milder and less sweet when raw.
ShallotUse the same weight; sweeter and softer, so reduce cooking time slightly.
Spring onionUse only the white parts, weight for weight, for raw or quick-cooked dishes; green parts are too grassy for long cooking.
Ground gingerUse 50% of the weight. Mimics turmeric's warm, earthy, rhizome background, but provides none of the golden-yellow colour.
SaffronSteep a tiny pinch (0.1 g per 2 g turmeric) in 2 tbsp warm water; use to match the rich golden hue. Contributes an aristocratic, honeyed floral flavour rather than earthy bitterness.
EggplantUse equal weight. Cut into large chunks; cooks down much faster (10-12 minutes) and softens into the sauce rather than staying starchy and firm.
PaneerUse 80% of the weight. Cube and add in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking; adds rich dairy protein instead of starchy bulk.
Dried chickpeaUse 45% dry weight. Soak overnight and boil until fully soft before stirring into the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.
Coriander (cilantro) or basilUse the same weight, choosing the coriander element if available. If only basil is available, expect a sweeter, more aniseed flavour.
Basil leavesUse the same weight. Basil is sweeter and more aromatic in a different way; add near the end so it keeps its perfume.
Coriander pasteUse 1.5 times the weight and reduce other liquid slightly; it is less fresh and more concentrated, so taste before adding more.
Similar dishes
- Same: Aloo ke Gutake shares with this dish a dry potato cooking style, mustard oil, turmeric, dried red chilli, salt, and a coriander finish.
- Different: Aloo ke Gutake uses cumin seed as its main tempering and potato slices, while this dish uses panch phoron, red onion, and potato cubes and has more potato and turmeric but no cumin.
- Same: Uralikizhan Moru Kozhambu shares potato, ground turmeric, salt and coriander leaf with this dish.
- Different: Uralikizhan Moru Kozhambu is a yoghurt-based curry with coconut, green chilli, ginger, chana dal, fenugreek and mustard seed, while this dish is a dry panch phoron and dried chilli potato with onion and oil.
- Same: Aloo Posto and this dish are both potato-based dishes cooked with oil, salt, and dried red chilli.
- Different: Aloo Posto uses poppy seed paste and lemon and lacks this dish's onion, turmeric, panch phoron, and coriander, giving it a thick sauce rather than a light tempering.
- Same: Aloo Methi ki Sabzi shares with this dish a dry potato base cooked with turmeric, salt, oil and chilli.
- Different: It adds fenugreek leaves, cumin seed and green chilli, may use ghee, and lacks onion, panch phoron, dried chilli and coriander while using much less potato.